Carramine
by Kira-Reen
Summary: AU story written because I did not like the way central characters were killed off and the fact that Luke, Leia and Han disappeared in the NJO series...Read and review please!
1. The Decision

(A/N: This was sparked off by an ongoing story called Vong War by Thrawn McMok on the FanForce boards. For a long time, I have been unsatisfied and discontented with the NJO books from the way they killed Chewie and Anakin to the handling of characters like Luke, Han and Leia. While reading Vong's War, I felt the urge to take the idea of the story and use it in a broader context. This adaptation of mine has no or very little continuity with the NJO books for a few reasons:

a) I have not read the entire series, just a few books.

b) As above-mentioned, I don't like the way all the characters are handled.

c) It's been a long time since I've read NJO books (gave up on 'em) and even then I skipped a lot of pages.

To put it simply, this is an AU.  
  
Disclaimer: SW belongs to Mr Lucas; I'm just playing in his sandbox. As for the beginning of the story, it is a derivative of someone else's piece-it was Thrawn McMok's story idea not mine, I couldn't contact the author so I'm giving credit where it's due.

Galaxy Under Siege

24 years after BOY...  
  
Chapter 1-The Decision  
  
Mon Calamari Day 0  
  
Ackbar looked at Fey'lya, hard. Finally, the Bothan nodded. It went against his very nature to accept advice from someone else, most of all a Mon Calamarian he detested, but he had no choice. He understood now. He understood that with power came responsibility and an obligation to the NR's people.  
  
Borsk Fey'lya may have been an underhanded sneak and a liar, in the true fashion of a politician, but he was not a coldhearted killer. He knew what it was like to lose someone and damned if his name went down in history as the cause for the New Republic's fall to these aliens, the Yuuzhan Vong. So, he would do what he had to do. And if people were to name him as the galaxy's salvation, instead of Skywalker's Jedi, than all the more cause for joy. A cold smile flitted across his lips, ideas forming in his head. Yes, he would do what he had to do.  
  
"I will take your information into consideration", he said curtly to the retired Admiral, and strode to the diplomatic ship awaiting him.  
  
Home One Day 1  
  
"Certainly, Chief Fey'lya", Admiral Sien Sovv closed the comm line and just sat there in his chair for a moment, stunned by the enormity of the communiqué he had received earlier today, as well as the conversation he had just had with the New Republic's Chief of State.  
  
The military had just been given free reign to track down and eliminate the Yuuzhan Vong threat. Complete and total freedom to do whatever they wanted.  
  
The Admiral stood up abruptly. He had work to do.


	2. The Summons

Chapter 2-The Summons  
  
Corellia Day 2  
  
Wedge groaned as he was waken up by two giggling mounds, which had somehow wiggled under his covers. "Daddy, you're supposed to go with us to the park today", came a plaintive, heart-tugging whine from Syal. He groaned again and opened his eyes. "Da da?" came the hopeful question from Myri. That and the pitiful expression in the two-and-a-half year old's eyes made him sit up in bed.  
  
"Ok, ok I'm up!" he groused. His wife's tinkling laughter filled his ears. "Well, I see someone's in a good mood today", Iella teased. Syal began giggling at the expression on her father's face. And Myri was giggling because...she was giggling because everyone else was giggling.  
  
Wedge just shook his head. "I'm living in a madhouse", he muttered, their laughter following him all the way to the refresher.  
  
He came out a few minutes later, shaking droplets out of his hair. Iella raised an eyebrow at that. "What? I took a water bath instead of a sonic shower." he exclaimed. Iella smiled knowingly, and raised both eyebrows this time.  
  
"So it was a accident! I was still sleepy, and the kids woke me up. It's not my fault!"  
  
Iella just snickered softly as she served him breakfast. Suddenly, her expression grew serious. "Wedge, we both received military Priority One communiqués at 0700 hundred this morning", she told him. Her husband hissed in surprise. Priority One.... but why? He was retired military now, they gave him a pension every month and Iella was an inactive NRI operative...so why?  
  
"I thought we should access them together, after you returned from the park, but it was date-stamped...", her voice trailed off. Wedge nodded with a glance down at his food, appetite gone. They moved to their bedroom quietly, both deep in thought.  
  
"The children?" he started. "Are outside playing with Kain and Lera", she finished. He nodded mutely and they activated their datapads. He felt a shadow of foreboding over him as he read the news.  
  
'After the repeated incidents of aggression by the Vong against the people of the NR...ya da.... ya da ya da...', his eyes widened. 'The New Republic military has been authorized to carry out all necessary means of action in order to eliminate the threat represented by the Yuuzhan Vong'; they were giving the military free reign! He forced himself to read further, and then felt his stomach lurch. 'The military needs more officers and will do all it can to reinstate and recruit more citizens'. His blood grew cold as he scrolled down to the official document.  
  
The NR's crest was on top. He scrolled further. It was a summons. 'Dear Officer, due to the current state of war the New Republic has declared, you are informed that as of 0800 hours, Galactic Standard Time, all reserve, inactive and retired command-track officers above the rank of Brevet-Captain have been reinstated, and their status changed to active. As you fall under one of these categories, you are to report to the New Republic Military HeadQuarters on Coruscant within the week, upon which further orders will be issued. Failure to comply will result in immediate arrest on the charge of mutiny. Please reply to this message with you ETA, as soon as possible.

The military needs every officer in these dire times.

Signed, Admiral Sien Sovv

Commanding Officer of the New Republic Military'  
  
Wedge breathed out slowly, absorbing the news and its implications on his family. He looked over at Iella and the couple locked eyes. Wedge sat down beside her and showed her what he had received. She read them slowly, then turned to him, unshed tears in her eyes.  
  
"Mine are the same, except, I have to report to Cracken at the NRI HQ. Oh Wedge, I don't want to go. I don't want you to go", she leaned her head on his muscled chest and closed her eyes in pain, "What'll happen to the children if they lose both parents?" she cried.  
  
"Iella, it can't be helped", he wrapped his arms around her. "Besides, Myri and Syal won't be safe if the galaxy is destroyed by the Vong", he said, ever the consummate soldier, the voice of reason.  
  
"But you said they'd never progress past the Outer Rim! Wedge we could run, take the kids to some world and be safe!" she begged. "And if the Vong break past the NR's defenses, how long do you think it'll be before they destroy every other world in their path. They sound too much like the Ssi-ruuk to me, Iella", he countered.  
  
"I don't care, Myri and Syal'll be safe, and they'll have their father and mother, alive!" she flared. Wedge shook his head, his brown eyes, narrowed and hardened. "What about all the other children in danger, all the families who would be broken up if everyone thought like you!" he thundered.  
  
"I told you Wedge, other people don't matter to me. Besides, let someone else do the fighting, let someone else make the sacrifice for once! Haven't you done enough!", she pleaded.  
  
"Iella, have you become so selfish that you only care for Myri and Syal? I love both of them, and you. You guys are my life, but spare a thought for others, Iella. And I know you're concerned about the kids but we're not the only ones with a family", he said softly, brown eyes begging her to understand.  
  
She heaved a sigh and sat down. "Alright, Antilles, you win. But my kids better have a father when this is over. And I'm going to give'em hell", Wedge grinned at Iella's exclamation.  
  
"Yah, know, for a moment I began to think you were a changeling" he kidded. She just grinned and smacked him on the head with a pillow.


	3. Best Friends

Chapter 3  
  
Millenium Falcon Day 2  
  
"Sithspawn!" Han exclaimed as his eyes traversed the screen. Chewie roared in surprise at Han's vehement reaction (toldja to disregard NJO, didn't I?). "Chewie, drop the ship outta hyperspace and set course to Coruscant. The Wookie chuffed loudly at that.  
  
"Whaddya mean, I'm crazy? Don't go blaming me, here read my 'orders' yourself!" Han shoved the datapad at Chewbacca. Chewie read it and shook his head at the news, rubbing a spot on his arm where the fur had not yet regrown. "Hey, don't rub at those scars, you'll only aggravate them", Han chided his best mate, trying not to show too much concern.  
  
Chewbacca muttered under his breath and threw the datapad at Han. [You sound like your mate when she scolds your cubs little one]  
  
"What! I'm not mothering ya furball! And I'm not little, so there!" the Corellian turned to the ship's controls and brought her out of hyperspace as Chewie began computing the co-ords to Coruscant.  
  
So, the NR was finally going to do something about the Vong, eh? What he didn't like about it was that he was being pulled out of retirement. Damn, he thought as the full implications hit him. 'All reserve, inactive and retired command-track officers are to be reinstated', that included a lot of people he knew and counted as his close friends, people who had long forsaken the NR military.  
  
Han glanced at Chewie out of the corner of his eye. It had been 2 months since Sernpidal but Chewie still moved rather gingerly. He shuddered as he thought about how close he had come to losing his best friend, the one creature in the entire universe he unequivocally trusted, more than his family. Normally, Han would be disgruntled about being pulled back into service; he grinned, but they were hunting Vong. And the Vong owed Han a debt for nearly killing Chewie.  
  
Still, he was uneasy about returning to Coruscant. Things between him and Leia won't so good. He winced remembering the harsh words he'd said to Anakin while Chewie had been in a bacta tank, looking lifeless. But the damn kid shouldn't have left Chewie stranded. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if the Wookie had not grabbed hold of the closing landing ramp in time.  
  
Leia had reacted badly toward what he'd said and Anakin...his relationship with Anakin had always been the weakest and now, it was tenuous at best. He'd hurt the kid badly, and taking off on the Falcon without so much as a word to any of his family certainly hadn't improved things.  
  
Well Solo, you're a big boy now, time to face the music. 


	4. Jedi in UniformI

Chapter 4-Jedi In A Uniform  
  
Part 1  
  
Haven Day 2  
Haven was a tiny planet on the furthest outskirts of the Corporate Sector. It was an agri-based planet, unaffiliated to any organization and beholden to none. An electoral council, which was elected every 3 years, ruled it and no representative could be nominated by election more then 3 times in a row. Every citizen born on Haven and any offworlder who had resided here for more then 5 years, and was over the age of 16 could vote.  
  
The humid southern hemisphere, its landmass riddled with rivers and countless tributaries provided the ideal place to grow many types of grain and flax. Fish farming was outspread and the teeming marine life was a main source of food for the mainly human and the indigenous Rrala population  
  
The equator was a tropical paradise formed by a long chain of disjointed islands with dormant volcanoes. Here, the settler species was more varied with many offworlders. The variation increased, as it grew closer to The City. Haven had only one huge, sprawling city dotted with all four of its spaceports. The City had expanded over various islands until it could only be called a city in the vaguest of senses. It had the usual amount of nightlife, hotels, apartments, gigantic technological monstrosities, all of which could be found nowhere else on Haven. More importantly, the Council building was here. Along with a municipal court. This was the extent of Haven's concession to the required level of technology.  
  
The landmass in the northern hemisphere was separated from the middle by sea and a never-ending strip of mountain ranges. Beyond that, were rolling fields as far as the eye could see, occasionally separated by patches of jungle terrain. Here, nomadic herders and ranchers raised genetically engineered nerf and two types of native beasts. The first was a stocky four-legged creature, the Youks which the Rralas rode and, which was eaten and milked. The second was a sleek aquiline creature, which was fast and raced in the Annual Mastide, called the Firenze.  
  
One of these Firenze ranches was home to Jenak Katarn (A/N: hehehe, recognize the name?). He had just finished taking out five of the newest geldings on their rounds with his twin Jenia. They both cleaned the tack and started down the track back home. As they reached the door, someone cursed rather fluently in Rrala.  
  
Jenak jerked back in surprise and looked at his sister, eyes wide. "Wow, I've never heard Da lose his temper this bad before!" Jenia exclaimed. The twins located their parents through the Force and hurried to the kitchen.  
  
Jenak's eyes grew wide as he saw his father holding a datapad. A datapad! He had always known that da still had one of course, but ranchers had little use for technology and on the rare occasion that da had taken Jenak and his 4 siblings to the city, he had not even seen such a new model.  
  
Kyle stopped cursing when he spotted his oldest son enter the room. "Jenak, Jenia", he barked.  
  
"Yea, da?" they asked simultaneously.  
  
"Find your siblings and start packing all your belongings. We're going on a long trip, off world. Meet me in the hall in 3 hours. We leave in the morning", he ordered.  
  
"Okay, da. But what about the ranch?" the 16-year old asked.  
  
Kyle considered the question. "We'll get someone to baby-sit it", he growled as his children left the room.  
  
Jan studied her husband. "Hey, don't look so serious Katarn. It'll be like old times, you and me", she tried soothing him.  
  
"And a dangerous mission!" the irate man retorted.  
  
"Now you listen to me Katarn, we've had 17 years of peace and it's not the NR's fault these..er...Yuuzhan, Vong creatures decided to invade! And we're going to help our friends", the diminutive, seemingly domesticated woman of minutes ago was gone, replaced by a fiery impassioned woman.  
  
"Alright, Jan. I guess you're right. It's just been so long and they have no right to call us in like this, threatening us with mutiny!" Kyle said, enraged over the letter. No, Kyle, you're angry that you life here has ended and you know it. You've kept the kids sheltered from the outside world for so long, even training them yourself instead of sending them to Skywalker's academy. All these years, cut off. All for nothing, now. Damn those aliens, damn. They'd pay, he vowed, and to hell with the darkside.


	5. Jedi in UniformII

Chapter 4-Part 2  
  
The Valiant-Booster Terrik's Star Destroyer Day 2  
  
Valin cranked up the volume on his keyboard and began jamming. "Yay, yay", crowed 4-year old Sabe, cheering on her brother. Valin grinned at her and started playing the "Imperial March", at full blast.  
  
"Valin, turn it down!" his mother yelled. He pretended not to hear. "TURN IT DOWN, VALIN!" his dad yelled. He pretended to be deaf.  
  
Corran Horn stormed into the tiny room and violently pulled out the keyboard's plug with the Force. "How many times have I told you NOT to play the darn thing so loud!" he bellowed.  
  
Valin just looked sullen and stared at the ground, defiantly. Sabe was the one who burst into tears as Mirax walked in. She looked at the scene and pursed her lips. "You, room", she pointed at her oldest child. "You, stop overreacting", she told her husband coolly, as she gathered Sabe in her arms, ignoring Valin who was stomping up each stair.  
  
"And before you start ranting about Valin, how about being truthful to me?" she asked, grey eyes narrowed in anger, a datapad in one arm, Sabe in the other. "What are you talking about?" Corran asked, puzzled.  
  
"I thought you said you left the military, Corran?"  
  
"I have!"  
  
"Then what's this?" she asked, slamming the datapad down.  
  
Corran looked at it, it was a holo message. From the NR headquarters, the office of Admiral Sien Sovv.  
  
"I don't know, but something tells me its not good news", he whispered.  
  
"You sure?" her hard stare softened, as she sat down.  
  
"Well, guess we'll have to find out won't we?", he quipped.  
  
They were both shocked as they read through the message.

"So, you think Booster'll gimme a lift?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.


End file.
